RETRACTION SOUGHT BY S.P.C.A.

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 223, 17 June 1936, Page 13

RETRACTION SOUGHT BY S.P.C.A.

Joey the Sea-Lion’s Death

‘BARKING UP WRONG TREE’

When .toey lhe sea-lion died at the Wellington zoo on May 5 ir. was announced that he had been poisoned. In spite of a careful analysis of Joey’s internal organs no proof was forthcoming to support this theory, and the Wellington Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is now seeking a public retraction of the poison announcement.

At a recent meeting of the committee of the S.P.C.A. a report of the post-mortem examination on Joey was commented upon, and the following statement: was issued:

‘‘ln view of the fact that: a careful analysis of the remains of the sea-lion had revealed no trace of poison, the committee considered that it: would only be courtesy on the part of the official responsible for the unsubstantiated accusation against the citizens of Wellington publicly to express regret for the unwarranted aspersion.”

The announcement that Joey bad been poisoned was made by the curator of the zoo, Mr. J. Langridge, following a preliminary examination of the dead sea-lion, made by himself, Colonel A. R. Young. The zoo’s honorary veterinary surgeon, and Mr. 11. Lesoeuf, a Government veterinary officer. When the S.P.C.A. statement was referred to him last night Mr. Langridge said that any sucli question should be addressed to the town clerk, Mr. E. P. Norman.

‘‘They are barking up. the wrong tree,” said Mr. Norman. “We received a certificate from Colonel Young that the sea-lion had died as a result: of poison, and that certificate still stands. The tests that were made did not reveal the nature of (he poison. On the other hand, they did not show that the sealion had not been poisoned. The position remains that the certificate supplied to us holds good." EXPENDITURE ON ZOO Wellington Ratepayers Not In Favour An inquiry from the S.P.C.A. as to whether the Wellington Ratepayers’ Association approved of the expenditure of public money on the zoo was received at a meeting of the association last night. A report of the meeting issued on behalf of the association states that members expressed their sympathy with the view that zoos as an educative medium were out of date, and that the educative value they possessed was now supplanted by the cinema and by other modern avenues.

It was considered that, only zoos planned on the most modern lines were desirable in a modern community and that serious consideration should be given to any question of further or continued expenditure on any zoo that did not measure up to present-day standards.